Bhagalpur: Power generation from five
units of NTPC`s Kahalgaon thermal at Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur
district has come to a standstill due to coal shortage caused
by `rail roko` agitation of irregular employees of the plant.
The power generation at the Kahalgaon thermal plant
has been stopped since last night due to disruption in coal
supply from the ECL`s Lalmatia coal mine following the `rail
roko` stir by about 172 irregular employees demanding
regularization of their services, the plant`s Deputy Manager
(PR) A K Das said.
At present, the Kahalgaon plant was producing power at
about one-fourth of its capacity at 550 MW from the remaining
two units against the total generation capacity of 2340 MW.
The agitating employees have blocked the rail tracks
used for transporting coal to the power plant apparently to
force the management to regularise their services, Das said.
He said that negotiations were going on with them, but
it was not possible to accept their demand for regularization
of services without advertising the vacancies.
Another group of about 300 irregular employees have
also threatened to launch rail roko agitation from tomorrow to
press for similar demands, which he said, would bring the
power generation from Kahalgaon plant to a total halt.
Meanwhile, Kahalgaon`s Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO)
Sanjay Kumar said that the district authorities were trying to
negotiate with the irregular employees for withdrawal of
agitation.
PTI
